


His Master, Transcendent

by Zana_Zira



Category: Kuroshitsuji | Black Butler
Genre: Alternate Ending, Alternate Universe, Blood and Gore, Cults, Demon Ciel, Demons, Gen, Hell, Kuroshitsuji II | Black Butler II, Seven Deadly Sins, Time Skips
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-10-21
Updated: 2013-10-21
Packaged: 2017-12-30 02:16:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 18,633
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1012858
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zana_Zira/pseuds/Zana_Zira
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It has been said that when one door closes, another opens. For Ciel Phantomhive, this is doubly true. His life as a human may be over, but he still has much to learn if he wants to survive as a demon. He has no idea what will await him when he begins this new life, but not to worry - what kind of butler would Sebastian be if he was not also one Hell of a teacher?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. His Butler, Despondent

August 26th, 1889. The night sky was black as jet, starless despite the fact that the new moon was still days away. The air was cool, unusual for a midsummer night, and the breeze softly tossed Ciel's blue-gray hair as Sebastian carried him across the field of black and white roses that adorned the seaside cliff. A few petals drifted up around them on the wind, and Ciel's eyes flashed red for a moment while he reached out to grab one in his outstretched hand. Sebastian watched with little interest as his master turned the petal around between his fingers; his face had remained stony, almost totally expressionless, since the moment he discovered Ciel had become a demon. He did not even offer his usual smirk when Ciel looked up at him, instead continuing toward the edge of the cliff with careful, measured steps and keeping his gaze straight ahead.

" _It's strange,_ " Ciel thought as he watched a few more stray petals dance up around his butler's feet. " _I should feel afraid, I think, to have become one of the beings I feared for so long. But somehow this just feels… as if it is what I was always meant to be._ "

"My Lord," Sebastian began, his voice soft and toneless as they neared the edge of the cliff. "Where shall we go now?" Ciel looked downward into the blackness below, wondering what kinds of horrors might lurk just beyond his view, and shook his head.

"I don't care where we go. Wherever we end up, we'll both be treated the same way now." Sebastian's eyes flickered with what might have been pain, the corners of his mouth turning down ever so slightly. Ciel did not smirk outwardly, though he felt very much like doing so. " _I'll remind you as many times as necessary, Sebastian,_ " he thought as his butler recovered from his momentary loss of composure. " _We are equals now. The mighty demon has lost to a human boy, and you are mine for eternity._ " Sebastian continued to the edge, standing just far back enough not to send them both into the chasm, and Ciel smiled, closing his eyes and laying against Sebastian's chest.

"It feels good somehow, Sebastian," he whispered. "As if I've been released from a curse that had me in its grip for a long time."

"Indeed. And I have been cursed in your place," the demon said bitterly, his grip on Ciel tightening almost imperceptibly.

The once-earl looked upward at Sebastian, flinching when he saw how much anger – perhaps even hatred? – was burning in those crimson eyes. Ciel had not been the one to create the contract with Hannah Annafellows that ultimately consumed his soul – that had been the work of Claude Faustus and Alois Trancy, and the entire lot of them were now thankfully dead. He had, however, learned of the trick Alois and Hannah were playing on Sebastian just before it happened. Even though he knew that it would take away everything Sebastian had lived for since beginning the contract, he had had no way to warn the demon. Did Sebastian – someone he once considered to be as close to a friend as he would ever get – truly regard him with contempt now?

"Sebastian."

"Yes, my lord?"

"You hate me quite a lot now, don't you?" Sebastian's eyes lost their smoldering intensity, but he did not turn his gaze toward Ciel when he spoke.

"My emotions, if they can be called that, have nothing to do with the situation at hand. I am your servant for eternity, and I will remain one hell of a butler until the end of time."

"You still haven't answered my question, Sebastian." Ciel stared hard at the other demon, waiting for any trace of the Sebastian he had known for so long, but all that greeted him was the same stony, defeated expression he had seen for days. "So that's it, then? You're just going to give up and suffer in silence? That isn't like you, Sebastian."

"And you claim to know what is and is not 'like me,' Bocchan?" There was a defiant edge to his voice now, one Ciel had never thought he would hear from Sebastian. Pushing himself out of the demon's arms, Ciel stood on the ground in the seemingly endless stretch of flowers, glaring up at the much taller man in a way he hoped would be intimidating.

"I do, and you'd do well to mind your tone around your master, Sebastian."

"I apologize, my lord," Sebastian said softly, kneeling before Ciel with his hand held over his heart, as he had always done. "That was out of line. I beg your forgiveness."

"Enough. You don't need to beg me for anything; it doesn't suit you."

"As you wish." Sebastian stood silently, taking his customary place behind Ciel to await further orders.

"So, where would be the best place to go next?" the boy asked himself aloud. "We can't return to London, at least not without some kind of disguise." He smiled bitterly. "I am supposed to be dead, after all. So perhaps the first place we should –  _unnh!_ " A sharp pain flared in Ciel's head, throbbing as it quickly spread through the rest of his body and began to intensify in his chest. He gasped and fell to his knees, one hand on his head while the other grabbed at a fistful of his coat, trying futilely to ease the pain that was quickly becoming unbearable.

"Master? What is the matter?" Sebastian asked, a touch of emotion returning to his voice as he knelt beside Ciel and placed a thin hand on the boy's back.

"Hurts… everything…" He swallowed hard, choking back a cry of pain when his body throbbed again, and tried to get to his feet. "Sebastian… I order you… to…" His vision immediately began to swim, and before he could alert Sebastian to his predicament he had pitched forward, his body hitting the ground hard before sliding toward the edge of the flower-covered rocks. He heard Sebastian call out his name and looked up, watching the edge of the cliff move away from him in slow motion as he began to fall. The butler's slitted red eyes were wide, his lips curled back to reveal his fangs as he shouted in surprise. Ciel saw Sebastian's hand extend toward him, trying to catch some part of him before he could fall into the chasm, and then all was darkness.

"MASTER!"


	2. His Butler, Devious

Ciel had scarcely made it past the edge of the cliff before Sebastian lunged after him, his long arms outstretched in a futile attempt to catch the boy before he could tumble out of reach. When his hands closed around empty air, Sebastian's eyes widened, his sharp teeth bared in a snarl of frustration, and he leaped off of the edge himself. He could see the former earl's body tumbling limply down into the chasm, narrowly avoiding bashing against the rocks that jutted out from the cliff-side as he flew past them. The mark of the contract on Sebastian's hand began to burn, although he did not need its help to know his master needed him.

The demon butler pursued the boy down into the seemingly endless darkness, his red eyes glowing brilliantly and casting a ruby-colored light over his pale cheeks. With speed and grace that only a Phantomhive butler – namely,  _the_  Phantomhive butler – could manage, he tucked his arms to his sides and dove downward head-first, righting himself and landing on his feet atop a large, jutting rock formation just in time to catch Ciel's limp body in his arms. The boy twitched and made a small, painful sound but otherwise made no attempt to wake.

Sighing in relief, Sebastian straightened his tie and secured his grip on Ciel, running back up the vertical side of the cliff as easily as he would have on flat land. When they reached the top, he pulled the both of them back up with one arm, laying Ciel down among the flowers when they were a safe enough distance from the edge to ensure he wouldn't fall again. Several black and white rose petals scattered around him on the breeze, some settling over his dark clothes and some in his blue-gray hair. One landed on his closed right eye, and Sebastian brushed it off with a gentle flick of his fingers. For the first time in days, the crow demon allowed himself a small smirk directed at his master, although the boy in question wasn't awake to see it.

"Even as a demon, it seems you'll be causing me no end of trouble," he said fondly, chuckling softly to himself. "So I suppose that means nothing has really changed."

Ciel suddenly groaned, his face twisting into a grimace of pain, and Sebastian's smile faded instantly. He wasn't sure what was hurting his master so much, but he intended to find out. He carefully placed his hands on Ciel's head, remembering that that had been the place he had clutched first before he lost consciousness. His fingers traced through the boy's hair and over his scalp, searching for anything that might be out of place. The young demon whimpered softly again, and Sebastian frowned. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, but perhaps –

"Ah." Sebastian's eyes widened for an instant as his fingers brushed over something hard and rough – no,  _two_  somethings – under the skin just behind his master's bangs. Ciel probably hadn't even known they were there. They were barely noticeable, a couple of miniscule bumps that were easily hidden under his hair, but the fact that he now knew exactly what they were gave Sebastian a greater sense of relief than he had imagined it would; the young demon was merely growing his first set of horns. The process would be incredibly painful – Sebastian winced, remembering just how much growing his own horns had hurt, although that had been thousands of years ago – but Ciel was in no danger because of it.

Almost in response to his thoughts, Ciel began to stir immediately, his eyes flickering from blue to red to blue again as he blinked blearily. He held a hand to his head and winced, and Sebastian offered him a slightly sympathetic smile.

"Welcome back, Young Master," he said calmly, helping Ciel to sit up so he could lay his aching head in his hands.

"Sebastian…" Ciel muttered, his voice rough with exhaustion and pain. "What happened? Did I imagine falling off of the cliff?"

"No, you did indeed fall. But I caught you before any harm could come to you."

"I should have known. Even when you're furious with me you'll still save me, won't you?"

"I will always come for you, Master. Our contract will not allow anything different. Besides, if I couldn't even do something at this level, then –"

"Yes, yes, what kind of butler would you be?" Ciel finished irritably. He sighed heavily, laying his head back in his hands and rubbing his fingers across the top of his head with more force than was necessary. After a while, he shut his eyes tight, groaning and clenching his fists against his head again. "Sebastian, what's wrong with me?" he choked out, fighting the urge to cry out when his head began to pound. "Did you let me hit my head on a rock when I fell?"

"Certainly not, Bocchan," Sebastian said, his frown indicating that he was offended Ciel could even  _think_  such a thing. "Your body is merely beginning to transform itself from a human shape into that of a demon for the first time. The pain in your head is from the pair of horns that are budding under your skin." Ciel gaped at him for a moment, dumbstruck, before he tentatively ran his fingers over the two bumps Sebastian had felt earlier.

"I'm going to grow horns?"

"Yes, and likely some other new appendages as well. But I cannot be certain until it actually happens, so we must wait and see."

"Is it supposed to be… this painful?" Ciel asked softly. Sebastian nodded slowly.

"It will become much worse before it gets any better, I'm afraid. But do not worry; all demons must go through this at some point. We are all born nearly featureless, you see, and it isn't until later in our lives when we take our 'true forms' for the first time. It is a very slow, agonizing process, but a necessary one."

"Then this is an order, Sebastian: make the pain stop." Sebastian shook his head, smirking in his usual feline way; for Ciel to admit to being in pain at all, it had to be terrible.

"I'm afraid I cannot. I can prepare some herbal teas to ease the pain, but even if you order it I cannot eliminate all of it – that would mean stopping the change entirely."

"And how would you stop it?" Ciel asked hopefully, perfectly content not to change into anything at the moment if it meant this agonizing migraine would end.

"I would have to kill you." Ciel cracked an eye open and smiled wryly at Sebastian.

"Well, that's a little ironic. I'm sure you'd love nothing better right now than to kill me." Sebastian didn't say anything, but Ciel could swear the demon's face looked sad for a moment. "Well, then, what are you waiting for, Sebastian? You said there were herbs that would help, right?"

"There are. So I take it will we be postponing our little journey until all of this is over? We do have all of eternity to worry about that, after all."

"Yes, yes, fine! Whatever you need to do! Just get to work on that remedy."

"Yes, sir. I will begin preparing it immediately, but first…" Sebastian slipped his tailcoat off and tossed it over one arm, then picked up Ciel and held him against his thin body.

"What are you doing, Sebastian?!" Ciel snapped, not liking the way the sudden position change had made him feel nauseous.

"Unfortunately, the herbs for the tea are very difficult to find in England. However, I planted some in the garden back at the manor some years ago, so that is where we are going."

"On foot? We don't have a carriage, Sebastian, and even with your speed, that will take hours." Sebastian chuckled, a sound that immediately made the hair on Ciel's neck stand on end.

"Not at all. I have a much faster way to travel, although it has been some time since I used it." Sebastian closed his eyes and sighed deeply, leaning his head forward and tensing the muscles of his torso. A moment later, a pair of enormous black wings sprouted forth from his back with the horrid sound of ripping flesh, tearing through his white shirt and leaving red stains spreading from his shoulder blades while they unfurled. He flapped them fiercely a few times, shaking the blood off of the coal-black feathers and loosening the wing joints, and then smiled down at his stunned master.

"You really  _are_  just an enormous crow," Ciel said with a roll of his eyes when he saw Sebastian's smug smirk.

"Indeed," Sebastian said, tensing his wings behind him and gripping Ciel tighter. "Now then, I suggest you hold on tightly. This is my first flight in years, so it may be a little rough. I would prefer not to drop you if it can be avoided."

"Oh, lovely…"

Before Ciel could say anything further, Sebastian had taken off with a single flap of his enormous wings, leaving only a few downy black feathers behind to show they had ever been there. Unbeknownst to his master, Sebastian was perfectly in control of his flying; it wasn't a skill a being as old as he was simply  _forgot_  in a few years.

" _Oh, well…_ " Sebastian thought to himself with a cat-like grin as he let himself drop several feet and heard Ciel's frightened gasp. " _It wouldn't hurt for me to have a little fun once in a while, would it?_ " His grin spread further when he realized they still had nearly an hour to go before they reached the manor. " _Oh, yes, this will be very enjoyable indeed…_ "

* * *

It was only a little past midnight when Ciel and Sebastian finally reached the grounds of the Phantomhive Manor, flying high above the land surrounding it so that no human would notice them from below. With a quiet _whoosh_  of his large black wings, Sebastian descended toward the cobblestone path that led to the front door of the manor, his shiny black shoes tapping softly against the stone when he finally touched down. Ciel hurriedly climbed down from the older demon's arms, his knees shaking as he gripped Sebastian's sleeve to hold himself up.

"Is something wrong, Master?" Sebastian asked softly, his voice practically dripping with a tone of concern. Ciel turned around and glared hotly at him, jerking his shoulder away from Sebastian when the butler tried to put his hand on it.

"Obviously," he spat angrily. "There's no way you could have become so bad a flier in only a few years. I know that you pretended to be in order to torment me." Sebastian said nothing but had the decency to at least look remorseful, and Ciel sighed deeply. "I really should punish you for being such an ass, Sebastian, but right now I'm simply too tired. I think you've had enough fun for one night, though, don't you?"

"Yes, my lord," Sebastian said with a smirk, quite surprised that Ciel was letting him get away with that stunt. He had expected to be punished severely, or at least berated, but for once the young master was voluntarily letting him have a little bit of fun at his expense. It was a pleasant change, to say the least, but Sebastian expected that it had more to do with the amount of pain the boy was in than a true change of heart. Demons were not forgiving creatures by nature, after all.

"Hmph. Then get to work on that remedy you mentioned earlier. I don't wish to deal with more pain than I have to for any longer." The once-earl spun on his heel and strode toward the mansion, stopping suddenly to speak to his butler once more. "And I'll put myself to bed tonight, so there's no need to accompany me."

"As you wish," Sebastian said with a quick bow, freezing in place since he had been about to follow Ciel to his room. "Sleep well, my lord."

"Hnn."

As soon as Ciel had disappeared completely from view, Sebastian turned on his heel and strode toward the gardens, knowing exactly where the flowers he sought should be and hoping Finnian hadn't managed to destroy every last one in the few days he and Ciel had been absent. He didn't bother to fold his wings back under his skin; it was too dark for anyone to see them, and it felt better to air them out a little after all this time, so he simply folded them back far enough to stay out of his way and off of the ground while he walked. The night air was completely still, and even with his highly sensitive hearing, the only sound Sebastian could make out was the rustle of his feet in the grass. It was rather peaceful, if he thought about it, and he smiled ever so slightly as he caught the scents of many varieties of flowers in the air. Even Sebastian could stop and enjoy the small things once in a while, especially when they weren't destroyed by incompetent servants before he had a chance to experience them.

When he finally reached the garden, Sebastian pulled up short, his crimson eyes flicking quickly from side to side as he surveyed the area suspiciously. Although he and Ciel had left only a few days ago, the entire area was already becoming a bit overgrown, and small weeds peeked out from between the clusters of flowers, choking the life out of some of the more delicate blooms until they hung brown and dry on their stems. That should not be. In the entire time Finnian had been employed as a Phantomhive servant, the garden had never become overgrown. Burned to the ground, yes; dug up beyond recognition, yes; but never overgrown. Did that mean something had happened to the gardener? He would have to investigate after he prepared the master's medicine.

Sebastian carefully strode over to a patch of long black vines that were barely noticeable against the stone wall of the garden, kneeling down to examine the delicate yellow-centered indigo blooms and the black berries that grew beneath them. It was no coincidence that Deadly Nightshade grew at the edge of the garden. Sebastian had planted it two years ago, knowing how beautiful the flowers looked and that tossing the poisonous berries out among the other flowers discouraged pests from eating them. To humans, these were the only benefits of the plant; eating even one berry from the Nightshade plant could have disastrous effects on the nervous system. For a demon, however, it was a very effective painkiller and sleep aid, although relatively high doses were required to accomplish either effect.

Plucking one of the shiny black berries from the vine, Sebastian popped it into his mouth, closing his eyes and relishing the bittersweet flavor that most demons enjoyed about the plant – demon birds, especially. Deciding that the berries were ripe enough to be useful, he gathered about a dozen of them, along with a small handful of the flowers themselves, and folded them up in his coat, which was still bundled neatly in his arms since it would not fit over his wings. He strode toward the outdoor entrance to the kitchen with long, ground-eating steps, crossing the terrain as silently as a phantom while he listened for anything unusual. When he reached the door and turned the handle he paused, uncertain.

The door was unlocked, and swung open without a hint of resistance. That was definitely unusual; Bardroy was a former soldier, and he was very adamant about things like locking the doors and keeping his weapons and explosives safely stored out of easy reach. The cleanliness and quiet that met Sebastian inside the kitchen immediately made him suspicious. There should have been evidence of a fire in this room after two days had passed, if not of ten fires. What in the world was going on? The servants had been entrusted with the keeping of the manor after Ciel had renounced his claim to it, so where were they? Or perhaps they were still here, and they had simply stopped destroying things because they knew Sebastian wouldn't be there to fix them? If that was the case, then he was sure he would personally kill all three of them.

The butler stepped over to the counter, retrieving a mortar and pestle from one of the cabinets, and began smashing the berries and flowers into a thin paste with a consistency that resembled honey. As he worked, he began boiling water for tea, putting the leaves in to steep so that they would be finished at precisely the moment he was done preparing the medicine. Once they were both done, with impeccable timing as usual, he poured a few drops of the Nightshade mixture into the tea, stirring it slowly until it was evenly mixed throughout and had turned the Earl Grey tea, which would normally have been a deep red-brown, a strange shade of dark gray. Satisfied with his handiwork, he stored the rest of the mixture in a small cabinet and put the tea on a tray to bring to Ciel. He only hoped that he would not have it poured over his hands when Ciel tasted it for the first time.

As if on cue, he heard Ciel's voice calling him from somewhere upstairs, raspy with pain.

"Sebastian! Is that medicine of yours ready yet?" Sebastian sighed, picking up the silver tray and making his way out of the kitchen and toward the enormous staircase in the foyer. Searching for the servants was going to have to wait; right now, he had a young master to tend to.


	3. His Butler, Sleuthing

It seemed some things  _could_  go smoothly between Sebastian and his master once in a while, after all. Ciel's reaction to the Nightshade-infused tea was much better than the butler had had expected. He obviously did not love the bittersweet flavor in the same way that Sebastian did, but neither did he hate it, and he finished the entire cup of tea in less ten seconds, not caring how unsophisticated that might look. When he had set the empty cup back on the tray in front of him, Sebastian took it away and set it on the dresser, leaving it for the time being while he helped his master settle into bed. The younger demon's eyes were already becoming glassy, and he was blinking frequently as he struggled to keep his vision from becoming doubled.

"Sebasti – * _yaaawn_ * – Sebastian?" Ciel asked sleepily, lying down under the silk comforter on his enormous bed and letting his butler tuck the blankets around him.

"Yes, Master?"

"What was in that tea you gave me? I'm so sleepy, and hardly any time has passed."

"It was a mixture of Earl Grey and the berries and flowers of the Deadly Nightshade plant."

"What?!" Ciel's eyes widened, and he sat bolt upright in the bed. He held his hands tightly against his abdomen, his face paling as if he expected to be in terrible pain very soon. "Are you trying to poison me, Sebastian?! Why on Earth would you –" He halted for a moment, then brought his right hand up to his mouth as if to reach his fingers down his throat. Sebastian grabbed his hand and pushed it back down to his side, putting his hands firmly on Ciel's shoulders and holding him still.

"Please calm yourself, Young Master," Sebastian said softly, gently pushing Ciel back down onto his pillow and straightening the covers again. "I am not attempting to poison you. The Nightshade plant is nothing but a pleasurable snack and an effective painkiller for demons; you could eat any number of berries you desired and they would not harm you in any way. This mixture will help you to sleep peacefully tonight, so please relax and let it work." Ciel eyed him suspiciously, still swallowing thickly as if he expected his body to reject the medicine at any time.

"Hmm… You do realize that if you're lying and I die before releasing you from the contract, you'll die too?"

"I am aware of that, yes, but I do not lie. You will be perfectly fine, and likely better for the experience." Ciel sighed, sinking wearily back into the pillow beneath him and wrinkling his nose ever-so-slightly when he realized it smelled a bit musty. Mey-Rin obviously hadn't washed these sheets in a while; he would have to make sure she did tomorrow.

"Now, then, Young Master, if you do not require anything else I shall take my leave." Sebastian stood from his seat beside the bed and retrieved the candlestick from the bedside table in one fluid motion, watching his master to see if he would ask for anything further. Just after he had turned his back to the bed and begun to stride toward the door, he heard Ciel speak his name softly from the other side of the room.

"Sebastian."

"Yes, my lord?" he asked equally softly, facing Ciel and bowing his head while he awaited his orders.

"The tea you gave me is working, I think. My head still hurts, but only slightly. I… Thank you."

That last remark caught the crow off guard, and he blinked dumbly at Ciel several times before he was able to regain his composure and offer his usual smirk.

"There is no need to thank me for this. After all, I am merely a butler." Ciel snorted and smiled slightly, rolling over until his back was turned toward the older man before settling into the warm nest of blankets with a sigh of contentment.

"If you say so, Sebastian."

"Goodnight, Young Master."

"…"

"Young Master?"

"…  _Zzzzz_ …"

Sebastian smirked again, chuckling softly to himself.

"Pleasant dreams, then." He blew out the candle and set it softly on the bedside table, then picked up the silver tray from the dresser and strode out of the room, careful not to let the door make a sound while he pulled it closed. "Now, I believe it is time to see what those lazy servants have been doing during our absence."

* * *

The soft clicking of Sebastian's polished leather shoes against the tile floor was the only sound to be heard in the manor, echoing eerily as the butler made his way from his master's room to the kitchen to return the tray to its proper place and wash the cup and saucer. He needed no candle to see by; his vision was perfect even in absolute darkness, for it was darkness that he was born in and molded from.

He glanced over the various statues and portraits that sat along the walls in the entrance hall, feeling a tingle of unease when he noticed how much dust had gathered on all of them since he had last seen them. There had never been such a thick layer of dust  _anywhere_ in the Phantomhive manor, at least not since he had rebuilt it for his master, and yet now it coated everything, rising up into the air in small clouds beneath his feet as he made his way to the kitchen door. Mey-Rin must have something to do with this; only she could manage to bring so much dust  _inside_  the rooms she was supposed to be taking it  _out_  of. He would have to be sure she was duly punished later, for this meant yet more work for him when the maid's duties were not even supposed to be his responsibility.

As soon as Sebastian opened the door to the kitchen he noticed the room was the same as he had left it, which in and of itself was puzzling. Usually, Bardroy would have found a way to make a terrible mess of things the moment Sebastian left something unattended in the kitchen, but it seemed the cook was nowhere near his usual location at the moment. Sighing quietly, Sebastian hurriedly cleaned the dishes and stored them away, retrieving his tailcoat from where he had hung it over a chair and leaving the kitchen door cracked open slightly when he departed. He made his way to the servants' quarters at a quick clip, his steps beginning to tap loudly on the floor as his irritation rose.

"Completely incompetent, the lot of them," he muttered to himself as he reached into the pocket of his tailcoat and produced the master key that would unlock any door in the manor. "The young master turns the manor over to their keeping and they let it deteriorate so quickly? Ungrateful swine."

He slid the key into the lock on Mey-Rin's door, swinging it open quietly and peering around the small bedroom. His red eyes narrowed immediately when he noticed that there was nothing resembling a personal effect left in her quarters at all. The only things remaining were a desk and chair, an oak wardrobe, and a wrought-iron bedframe topped with an uncovered box-spring mattress. Stepping into the small space, Sebastian strode over to the wardrobe and flung the doors wide, tilting his head to one side in confusion when nothing but empty space met his eyes. Mey-Rin had never been one to collect clothing like Lady Elizabeth or even Ciel, but she had always had at least three complete spare uniforms hanging in her closet in case of emergency. The lack of any trace of a person living in this room strongly hinted at the fact that the maid no longer resided here, and Sebastian shook his head in disappointment.

"After all the young master and I did for her, it takes only a few days for her to forget where her loyalties lie?" He tilted his head again, pondering. "Perhaps I am jumping to conclusions. She might have simply changed rooms to be closer to the foyer and laundry room; this is a fair distance from both, after all…" With that thought in mind he exited the maid's quarters, unlocking the door to the adjacent room, which was shared by Finnian and Bardroy. The door swung open on creaky hinges – "I must remember to oil those later," Sebastian muttered to himself – and the butler cautiously peered into the darkness, not sure of what he might discover.

Once again, to his immense puzzlement, he found the dwelling to be completely deserted, devoid of even a single trace of human habitation. There was a fine layer of dust coating everything in his sight, and unlike in Mey-Rin's bedroom, the doors of the empty wardrobe hung open wide as if everything inside had been gathered up and taken away in a great hurry. Sebastian frowned and spun on his heel, flinging open the door to Tanaka's room and finding it in the same condition as the previous two. The only one that remained was his own, and at this moment he was not entirely sure what might be waiting when he ventured inside. Slowly, carefully, he made his way to the door of his room, the largest of all the servants' quarters. His personal key, the top of which was shaped like a cat's head, slid easily into the lock, and the resulting click sounded as loud as a gunshot in the suffocating silence that pervaded the entire manor.

As soon as Sebastian stepped inside of his bedroom, he released a breath he had not realized he was holding. Everything was exactly as he had left it, without a single thing missing or out of place. Everything was dusty, which he found unacceptable for a Phantomhive butler, but that could be dealt with easily enough. He had only a few personal belongings, mostly small things like dried flowers and various cat-shaped items he collected whenever he came across them, but seeing them there brought him a profound sense of relief. He stepped over the dull wood floor, now chalky with dust, opened the wardrobe to place his tailcoat inside, and immediately froze in shock.

The entire contents of his closet – every last one of his tailcoats, vests and trousers – were completely infested with moths. The little pests flew out in a swarm when he opened the doors, leaving their disgusting larvae still munching holes through the threads of some of the highest quality custom-tailored clothing money could buy. Sebastian curled his lip in distaste when one of the flying bugs landed on his nose, brushing it away irritably while he sorted through the destruction in search of a salvageable coat. This was the final straw. Something bizarre was going on in this manor, and Sebastian was going to find out what. After all, if he couldn't even do this much, then what kind of butler would he be?

Folding his wings back under his skin and snatching the least-damaged evening coat he owned out of the closet, he hurriedly slipped it on, making his way down to the foyer and out of the front door in a flash. His shoes clicked softly on the cobblestones as he trotted down the path, and his long legs carried him farther and farther away from the manor at a speed that would tire most men out quickly but for him was not draining in the least. He estimated that he had at least two hours before Ciel awoke again, and that should be plenty of time to ask someone in town what had happened to the manor. If there was one thing the commoners loved, it was gossip, and that could only benefit him now.

It took barely a half hour for Sebastian to arrive in the center of the town square, looking around for someone who seemed like they might be wealthy enough to have an interest in the Phantomhives. A few moments later, he spotted a woman in a bright red dress strolling down the opposite side of the street from where he stood. Careful not to look too eager and risk scaring her away, Sebastian approached her, clearing his throat so that she would not be startled to find him behind her. The woman froze for a moment, gasping quietly, and put a delicate hand over her heart.

"Oh, dear, you gave me quite a fright, sir…" she said softly, still facing away from him while she patted her red up-do nervously. Sebastian quirked an eyebrow; her voice was much deeper than most other women's.

"I deeply apologize, my lady. I was simply hoping I might have a word with you, if it were convenient."

"Oh, really? Well of course you may." The woman spun around quickly, and Sebastian's face fell as "she" smiled brightly, revealing a mouth full of razor-sharp teeth. " _Anything_  for you, my dear Bassy."


	4. His Butler, Disbelieving

" _Raum… Raum… Adducite eum ad nos, Raum…_ "

At the sound of the strange words Ciel's eyes snapped open, and he blinked in confusion, holding a hand to his aching head while he looked around the room for the source of the sound that had awoken him. He did not know what time it was or how long Sebastian's Nightshade draught had kept him asleep; all he knew was that it was still pitch-black and his butler was nowhere to be seen. It was too dark to see much of anything, actually, and – Wait. He was a demon now; nothing should  _ever_  be too dark for him to see through. He closed his eyes and opened them slowly, hoping it would help, but to his dismay his vision remained as useless as before. What was going on?

He reached up to rub at his eyes and flinched, hissing in pain and gritting his teeth when he felt something sharp cut through the flesh just below his eye. Blood ran freely from the cut, sticky and hot, and the coppery scent was made even stronger by his heightened sense of smell.

"What in the hell?" Ciel muttered, drawing the fingertips of his left hand across his right palm and feeling hard, sharp protrusions at the tip of each of his fingers. Holding his hand up in front of his glowing red eyes and squinting hard, he finally realized what the strange things were; there were long black claws growing from his fingertips, shaped more like the talons of a bird than human fingernails. He would have to ask Sebastian what to do about them; he was certain he had seen the butler extend and retract his own claws at will before, but if he couldn't do that he would at least have to file them down. He couldn't function very well if he was in constant danger of clawing out his own eyes, after all.

"Sebastian," he said softly, expecting to see the butler emerge from the darkness an instant later. When only silence continued to greet him, he glared toward the closed door, shifting in bed as he felt something begin to tingle on his back. "Sebastian," he said again, louder this time. Again, no response was forthcoming, and the once-earl snorted in frustration. "Where could he have gotten to?" He was too busy listening for his butler to pay attention to the strange sensation in his back, which had quickly evolved from tingling to itching, and now to a slight burning. "Sebastian, where are you?"

" _Raum… Raum…_ "

Ciel froze, his blood instinctively running cold at the return of the unearthly voice. The sound did not seem to stem from one place, but rather from everywhere at once, echoing through every inch of the room despite how soft it was.

"Who are you?" Ciel shouted into the darkness.

" _Advena - adducite eum ad nos, Raum… (The newcomer - bring him to us, Raum.)"_

"What do you want with me? Show yourself!"

" _Silentium! Raum… non estis._   _Raum ubi est? (Silence! You... are not Raum. Where is Raum?)_ " Ciel wished he had paid better attention when Sebastian had tried teaching him Latin, for he understood very little of what the voice was saying now. All he had managed to gather was that the voice was asking for someone named "Raum," and asking whoever that was to bring someone else to him.

" _There is no one here by that name,_ " Ciel replied in an unsteady version of the language.

" _Iaces! (Liar!)_ " the voice spat, suddenly much louder.

" _I am no liar. Now tell me who you are._ "

Only silence met Ciel's ears for a moment, and he immediately began to feel that he had only been dreaming. But then, the voice spoke once more, its words whispered in a tone that filled Ciel with dread.

" _Adhuc iaces mihi? Tunc patiuntur propter superbiam tuam. (Still you lie to me? Then suffer for your arrogance.)_ "

Ciel's eyes widened a fraction of an inch before he gasped in a deep breath and lurched forward, screaming in agony. The skin on his back felt like it had been lit aflame, searing every nerve it could reach while it stretched and tore, filling his nose with the stench of his own blood. He could feel the sheets growing soaked with the crimson liquid, pooling around his legs as he bent forward and hugged himself, writhing and clawing desperately at his back in a futile attempt to ease the pain. He could feel the tears running down his face and heard himself sobbing uncontrollably, but he no longer cared. Everything hurt too much for dignity.

"Seba – Sebasti –" he choked out between his short, too-rapid breaths. Everything was getting blurry now; he couldn't slow his breathing down long enough to form a sentence; he could barely stop sobbing and screaming long enough to draw a breath. "H-he – Help m-me, SebaAAAAAGGH!" As if to spite his attempts to ease the unbearable agony, Ciel's head suddenly began to stab with pain as well; his skull felt as if it had split in two and someone was pulling it further apart by the second, working as slowly as they could just to torture him further. As rivulets of thick blood began to run into his eyes, he gave one final scream and fell from the bed, passing into unconsciousness moments before he hit the floor.

* * *

"Grell Sutcliff," Sebastian said in a monotone as his crimson eyes reluctantly settled on the red-garbed reaper standing before him on the street. "I would say it is a pleasure, but fortunately for me I cannot lie."

"Oh, Bassy, you know you missed me!" Grell said happily, grinning and lunging at Sebastian as if to hug him. The demon sidestepped easily, and the redheaded reaper fell face-down on the cobblestones, narrowly avoiding a pile of horse manure that sat just a few inches away in the gutter.

"A pity," Sebastian muttered to himself when he saw that Grell's face had not ended up where he would have liked it to be. To the demon's annoyance, Grell hurriedly hopped up from the ground, dusting off his dress and straightening his glasses where they had gone askew on his nose.

"Sebastian, you simply  _must_  tell me what you think of this dress!" he exclaimed, twirling around so that the bunches of red lace and chiffon swirled around him like a cloud. "I've spent aaages making it, you see, and Will just doesn't understand true beauty when he sees it. He's gorgeous to look at, but a bit of a stick in the mud. Not always the most perceptive fellow, either, if we're being honest. But  _you_ , Bassy, surely you must appreciate the beauty of – Erm, Sebastian?"

Grell opened his eyes, brought back from his rambling when he heard the sound of Sebastian's shoes steadily moving away from him. With a dramatic sigh, he loosened his hair from its up-do, unfastening the top three buttons on his dress and opening it so that the tip of the V fell just below his sternum. He hurriedly caught up to Sebastian, stepping in front of him and fluttering his eyelashes delicately.

"Oh, my dear, whatever has you in such a hurry? Stay with me for a while." He ran his tongue over his lips, moving closer to whisper his next words in the demon's ear. "I'll give you  _anything_  you want."

"If that is true, then I want you to leave me alone," Sebastian said bluntly, pushing Grell aside and continuing on his way. "I have much more pressing matters to attend to than a gender-confused reaper looking for love from the wrong species." Grell crossed his arms, huffing and pretending to sniffle.

"B-but Bassy, I've just missed you soooo much while you've been gone. How can you be so cold?" Sebastian stopped and turned to face Grell, glaring icily at him.

"That is absurd. If you've truly come to miss me that much in only three days, then you're more pathetic than I could have imagined."

"Three days?" Grell asked, genuine shock written all over his face. "Sebastian, you've been gone for two years…" The demon's eyes widened a fraction of an inch, and he turned his full attention to Grell, stepping back toward him until they were almost nose-to-nose.

"What did you say?"

"You must be joking! You and that brat you serve have been gone for two years now, Bassy! In fact, your gravestones at the church are already starting to become a little overgrown. All this time I've thought you were dead, and I was so disappointed it wasn't me who got to reap your soul. There is no better way to love someone than to keep them with you even in death, you see."

"Impossible. That's impossible," Sebastian muttered to himself, looking down at the threadbare coat and the dust that still clung to his shoes from the manor. "That cannot be. It is August twenty-seventh, 1889, isn't it?"

"No, I'm afraid not," Grell said, his face looking just as confused as Sebastian's. "Today is August twenty-seventh, 1891." Sebastian lunged forward immediately, grabbing Grell by the straps of his red dress and pinning him against the wall before he could even yelp in surprise. His eyes were glowing furiously, the tips of his fangs peeking out from his lips as they extended along with his claws.

"If you are lying to me, reaper…" he snarled, his teeth flashing threateningly.

"No, no!" Grell squeaked, his eyes wide as he waved his hands in a frantic gesture of surrender. "Honestly, I'm not! I thought you knew how long it had been, that's why I was so happy to see you come back!" Sebastian slowly let go of Grell, allowing his claws to recede and his fangs to shorten to only slightly longer than that of a normal human's canines. "Were you truly not aware of how much time has passed?"

"I… was not…" Sebastian said slowly, his eyes narrowed in confusion. "But how could that be?"

"Two years would pass in the blink of an eye for a demon, right? Is it possible you just slept through it?"

"It would have been possible had I not been under contract. As long as I am bound to Ciel Phantomhive, I will experience time painfully slowly as a human does, unless he should will it otherwise." For the first time in a very long time, Sebastian began to feel fear. If someone had power enough to render him and his master completely immobile for two entire years and leave them both without a single memory of it, then they could be in a great deal of danger. He needed to find out what had happened as quickly as possible, but where should he even begin?

"Hmm… It could be related to the recent demonic activity in London, I suppose…" Grell said softly. Sebastian quirked an eyebrow.

"Demonic activity? What are you talking about?"

"While you two were gone, a lot of strange things have been happening in London and the surrounding areas. Outbreaks of terrible diseases that cannot be cured, people acting as if they've been possessed, disappearances… And most of them result in death for the humans involved, which isn't a bad thing for us Shinigami, but…"

"But?"

"Many of the people on the 'To Die List' are dying ahead of schedule, before we have a chance to examine their cinematic records. And by the time we get to them, they have often had their souls stolen, although whether they've been consumed or just taken somewhere else we aren't sure. But Management is convinced it's the work of demons, so all of us in Dispatch are out here for twenty hours a day making sure no demons take the souls before we do. It's exhausting, but knowing you're alive will give me the energy to keep at it, Bassy!" Grell gave him a malicious grin, reaching for his Death Scythe, and Sebastian resisted the urge to roll his eyes, instead simply sighing and shaking his head while he re-extended his claws and fangs.

"So I take it this means we must fight again," he said resignedly, prepared to do battle with the reaper out of necessity, as he usually did. "Make it quick, if you must."

"Sorry, Sebastian, but I can't tonight," Grell said sadly. "As much as I love the feeling I get when our bodies tangle so intensely – Ooh, such heat! Such passion! Mmm… – I'm afraid I'll have to take you up on that later. Will doesn't actually know I'm here talking to you, you see, so I think for now I'll just let you go. We've only just been reunited, and I don't think I could bear having to kill you yet. Oh! But before I leave, take a look at this!"

Grell reached into the bodice of his dress – Sebastian averted his eyes and repressed a shudder – and produced a small slip of paper, which he pressed into the butler's hand. Sebastian unfolded the note, not sure what to make of the single mark on the page. It was a crudely drawn representation of an hourglass; two wings sprouted from the center, one facing up and once facing down, and the sand inside was equally full in both sections. There was nothing else, no words or names to make use of, and Sebastian was utterly unsure what it could mean.

"What is this?" he asked, turning the paper over in his hands again.

"We aren't sure yet," Grell said softly, looking around as if he expected to be overheard. "It's been found near the places where the largest numbers of premature deaths have taken place, usually etched into the wall or the cobblestones. We think it may have something to do with whoever's causing all of these strange occurrences, but nothing's been verified yet. Will and the Management Department are in charge of investigating things like this; Dispatch isn't expected to get involved, we just do as they tell us. But between you and me, I think the Queen's Guard Dog and his butler might be better able to understand this than we Shinigami can." He pressed the paper into Sebastian's coat pocket, giving the demon a more-than-friendly pat on the backside afterwards, and winked at him as turned to leave.

"Oh, and one last thing," Grell said suddenly, whirling around so fast that his red hair completely covered his face for a moment. "If you're looking for those servants of Ciel's, they're at the Middleford Manor right now. They stayed at the Phantomhive Estate for a while after you left, but for the last few months they've only gone back there once in a while to try to tidy the place up a little."

"How do you know all of this?" Sebastian asked, expecting Grell to say he watched the manor every day for some sign of the butler or something of the like.

"Oh, I had to go there to reap one of their souls last winter. Tanaka, I think his name was? The poor thing, all he did in his dying moments was ask for you and the brat, and apologize for not being able to protect you two. He really did think you'd both died, so I think he was happy to follow after you."

"That makes sense. Without a head butler, there is no way the other three could have organized themselves well enough to care for the manor. It was probably for the best that they decided to serve the Middlefords."

"So you aren't going to go after them, Bassy?"

"No. They are perfectly fine where they are now, and we won't be staying in London long." He sighed to himself, keeping his next thoughts unspoken. " _Especially not with you reapers out hunting demons. The Young Master would almost definitely be captured._ "

"Well, it's your decision. I just thought you'd like to know."

"Indeed. As much as I hate to admit it, you've actually been quite helpful."

"Anything for the man I love," Grell said dreamily, leaning against Sebastian with a sigh. The demon pushed him off again, although he did not push him toward any manure piles this time.

"Yes, well, I have to be on my way now. I still have some things to investigate before – Ah!" He felt the mark of the contract begin to burn, and he could almost feel his master's distress through the symbol. Something was terribly wrong.

"Bassy? What's the matter, Darling?" Grell asked worriedly when Sebastian gasped and clutched his left hand to his body. The demon's eyes were wider than Grell had seen them in a long time, and before the reaper could ask anything further Sebastian bolted away at a sprint, his wings tearing through the old coat on his back as he leapt into the air. Grell tried to catch him but he wasn't fast enough, and before long he had lost sight of the demon completely. He stared in the direction Sebastian had gone for a few moments more, and then turned and started back to where his next soul was waiting to be reaped.

"Demons," he muttered with a small smile, baring his razor-sharp teeth. "You can never really understand what makes them tick. Hmm… Perhaps that's why they're so sexy? Well, Bassy, it was nice to see you again, even briefly. I hope that the next time we meet, neither of us is on-duty." Before long, the streets of London were empty once again, as if the demon and the Shinigami had never been there in the first place. The only trace of anyone's presence was a small slip of paper fluttering down the cobblestone street, baring its hourglass-shaped mark to the world before it too disappeared completely.


	5. His Butler, Nightmarish

_When Ciel opened his eyes again, he found himself alone in a dimly lit room, surrounded on all sides by moldy stone walls and rusty iron chains. He was lying on a stone table of sorts, stripped naked and covered with nothing but a thin white sheet. The only sounds in the room were the slow dripping of dirty water from the ceiling to the floor and the soft crackling of the torch on the opposite wall, which was so old and burnt-down it offered almost no light at all. Groaning quietly, Ciel tried to reach his right hand up to his sore head, only to find it held to the altar by a thick leather strap. He tested his other wrist and each of his ankles and found that they, too, had been tightly bound. A leather collar encircled his neck, holding his head back against the cold stone, and his heart began to race when he realized he was effectively trapped._

_"Sebastian. Sebastian, where are you?" he whispered into the near-darkness, waiting for any sign that the butler was coming to rescue him. When the demon failed to appear, Ciel swallowed hard, panic beginning to make it difficult to breathe. "Sebastian! This is an order! Come here_ now _!" A beat of silence followed, and then the door to the cold stone chamber swung open, creaking loudly on rusty hinges as the warped wood strained to fit through its frame. Ciel began to sigh in relief but stopped short, his heart leaping into his throat when he saw who had come into the room._

_The man who had entered the small chamber did not say a word at first, merely staring coldly at Ciel as if waiting for the young boy to say something to him. He wore a long white silk robe, sparklingly clean despite the filthy conditions of the room around him. His face – or what little of it could be seen beneath the white mask that covered his eyes and nose – was expressionless, devoid of either compassion or fury, and the hair on the back of Ciel's neck stood on end at the sight. He knew this man's face. This man was the leader of the cult of human sacrifice that had tortured Ciel so many years ago – the very reason he had formed a contract with Sebastian in the first place!_

_"You!" Ciel hissed, his voice raspy as he tried to sit up and found the collar tightening uncomfortably around his throat. "Why are you here? Sebastian killed you! I saw him do it!"_

_The man smiled, a feline smirk that did not belong on a face like his, and chuckled mirthlessly._

_"Did he now? Are you certain, little Earl Phantomhive?"_

_Ciel was certain his heart was going to stop beating any moment now. That voice, it couldn't be…_

_"S… Sebastian?"_

_"Yes, my_ lord _," the demon hissed mockingly, giving an exaggerated bow before he strode over to the altar and spat in Ciel's face. He removed the white mask covering his eyes, and his face transformed into the familiar countenance of his butler; his red irises glowed brightly and his mouth was twisted into a sinister grin, all of his teeth bared in an expression of pure bloodlust. "Do you remember this place, boy? This is where you promised your soul to me, in exchange for my help in exacting your revenge. But something is wrong about this picture, I think. Well, now, let's see." Sebastian looked around the room slowly, appearing to be deep in thought. "Ah, yes, that's right. I held up_ my _end of the bargain, but_ you _tried to cheat your way out, didn't you?"_

_"N-no! Sebastian, I didn't mean for this to –"_

_"Hoh? You didn't 'mean to?'" Sebastian sneered. "And you think that matters one whit to me?" The raven-haired demon slipped his cloak off in one fluid movement, letting it drop to the floor with a quiet fluttering sound. A moment later he was nose-to-nose with Ciel, so close that the boy could smell the blood on his butler's hot breath as it wafted over his face. He had never seen such a crazed look on Sebastian's face before, and it was utterly terrifying. The demon licked his lips hungrily, and Ciel gulped, wondering what he was going to do. "You are disgusting, Ciel Phantomhive," he whispered into Ciel's ear with a growl. "Your soul has been defiled by a demon's touch, and now you shall pay for it."_

_Before Ciel could ask what Sebastian meant, the demon had drawn back, grimacing as if he was in pain and groaning softly. A moment later, his face began to warp, twisting and writhing until the flesh had taken on a completely different shape. Instead of Sebastian's face, the man's head now bore the features of Ash, the fallen angel Sebastian had defeated several months ago. The angel grinned widely, brandishing a sword that he had produced from a scabbard on his hip, and his white wings spread fiercely behind him while he advanced on the helpless young demon._

_"Hell-born beast," he growled, pointing the tip of the blade at Ciel's chest. "You are unclean. Impure. Unnecessary. Unwanted." With each word, he advanced a bit further, until finally the cold steel was embedded a half-inch into Ciel's skin, leaving a tiny trickle of blood trailing down the side of his chest. He snarled at Ash, trying to break the bonds even though he knew it was futile. At the angel's bidding, the straps on his body moved of their own accord, flipping him over onto his stomach and holding him face-down while Ash sheathed his blade and sneered distastefully at the demon blood tainting the shining steel. Ciel heard something metallic being picked up on the other side of the room, and then Ash spoke again, his voice full of malice._

_"I believe you've forgotten your place, little demon," he hissed, returning to the altar and running his fingertips over the scarred brand on Ciel's back. "Let's give you a little reminder, shall we?" Ciel struggled frantically, trying to escape the pain he knew was coming, but it was no use. A moment later, he felt the red-hot branding iron touch his skin, and he could do nothing but throw back his head and scream._

* * *

"Bocchan!" Sebastian gasped when he heard a pain-filled shriek from Ciel's bedroom. He dashed up the stairs and down the hall, throwing the door open and brandishing his claws as he prepared to attack whatever had disturbed his master. The sight that greeted him made his eyes widen in horror.

Ciel lay in a twisted heap on the floor, twitching occasionally as he whimpered and writhed in unconscious pain. His mouth was open in a soundless scream, and every few seconds he would yelp, a pale imitation of the shrieking he was doing internally. Sebastian crossed the room in three long strides, dropping to his knees beside his master and gently turning him over onto his belly, untangling his limbs from beneath him as carefully as he could. When he got a close look at the boy, Sebastian gasped aloud, completely unprepared for what he found.

A pair of wet, bloody wings had torn out from the flesh of Ciel's back, and now they flapped uselessly when they were finally freed from being laid on. A set of rough horns, curved back like a goat's, had emerged from his head, and each was tipped with several sharp tines like the antlers of a deer. The tops of his ears had become slightly pointed, and long blue-black talons grew from the ends of his fingers. Sebastian placed his hand at the base of one of the wings, trying to feel how badly it had torn the skin, when Ciel suddenly opened his eyes and flinched away from him, screaming in terror.

"Young Master, please let me –" Sebastian began, extending a hand toward the frightened boy.

"Don't touch me! Stay back!" Ciel shouted, swiping out with his claws and cutting the edge of Sebastian's cheek deeply. The butler did not flinch, did not even act as if he felt it. Instead, he kept advancing slowly toward Ciel, keeping both hands where the terrified younger demon could see them. "You'll kill me – he'll kill me! Ash, you, the angel – going to kill me –!"

"Master, calm yourself. I am not going to harm you." He continued to creep toward Ciel, wondering what could have happened to bring his usually dignified master to such a state. When he was only a few inches from taking the once-earl's arm, Ciel tried to bolt, and Sebastian lunged after him, wrapping his arms around the younger demon in a bear-hug and tucking his black wings around the both of them. He grunted in pain when Ciel's claws began tearing at his wings, trying to escape the butler's grip. Whether angel or demon, the wings were the most sensitive part of the body, and having another demon's claws ripping through the thin membranes beneath the feathers was definitely not pleasant.

Ciel continued to writhe and buck against Sebastian, trying to free himself like a trapped animal. Feeling an almost paternal stab of pity for him, Sebastian just held him tighter, slowly moving them both back and forth as he tried to calm him down.

"Hurts… Sebastian… They're coming after… me…"

"Master, it is alright," Sebastian said softly, feeling Ciel's struggles become less desperate as he began to tire. "You have developed your wings and horns a bit faster than I would have liked, but you are not in any danger. I will always keep you safe, and nothing will ever change that." After a few more moments, Ciel stilled completely, and Sebastian unfolded his sore wings, confident that his master would stay put. He did just that, and Sebastian was surprised to see Ciel pressed against his body in a tight hug of his own, shaking violently as he clutched desperately to his butler.

"Liar…" Ciel whispered, his voice muffled with his face pressed into Sebastian's chest.

"Whatever do you mean, my lord?"

"You weren't there. You didn't protect me. You… you tried to kill me."

"It was only a dream, nothing more," Sebastian whispered, helping Ciel to stand and leading him toward the washroom so he could begin cleaning the blood off of his body and wings. "Come now, let's get you cleaned up. Your body will heal faster if we remove all of this blood and get your feathers straightened."

"You hated me… You still hate me…"

Sebastian blinked a few times at that last statement, not sure what to make of it. His master must truly be shaken up to say something like that. The crow was meant to be one of his pawns, after all; whether he hated him or not was of no consequence – or so Sebastian had thought. He didn't hate Ciel, of course. The earl and the demon had grown on each other in the last three years, whether either would admit it or not, and they had become, in essence, the only friends either of them had in the world. Sebastian abhorred Hannah Annafellows; hated Claude Faustus and Alois Trancy; detested Grell Sutcliff and the rest of the Reapers. But Ciel, he could never hate, no matter how much he wished he could.

"I do not hate you, Bocchan," he said slowly, beginning to fill the tub with warm water while he fetched a rag and soap. "I am frustrated beyond imagination with the results of this game of ours, but I do not hate you."

"The results?" Ciel asked, beginning to wake up a little and able to think more clearly. "What are you talking about?"

"You are not the only one who hates losing at games, Master," Sebastian said with his trademark smirk as he gestured for Ciel to step into the bath. He did so, and Sebastian immediately began scrubbing the dried blood from his skin, careful to be especially gentle when he began washing the tender new wings. "You might not have known this about me, but I can be a  _very_  sore loser." Ciel snorted and smiled slightly.

"You don't say."

"I do. Even though Claude did not get your soul, the fact that I too am left without it still counts as a loss for me. It is him I detest – and I have for millennia."

"Millennia? You've known each other that long?" Ciel asked, wincing when Sebastian began roughly scrubbing the bony horns on his head, accidentally shaking his head from side to side as he did so. "Easy, Sebastian!" he groused. "My head still hurts and you're making it worse!"

"My apologies, but this is necessary. The rough surface of these horns makes cleaning them very difficult, even for me."

"Hmm. Do as you must, then. So, as I was saying, how long have you known Claude Faustus? Obviously you detested him long before you ever met me."

"Indeed. We've never been particularly fond of one another. Perhaps it could be called 'sibling rivalry,' for you see, Claude was my elder brother."


	6. His Butler, Divulging

It took a moment for Ciel to rediscover how to speak after Sebastian's revelation, but eventually his vocal cords remembered what they were supposed to do, and he pushed Sebastian's hands off of him before he said anything.

"Claude Faustus… was your  _brother_?!" he shouted in a voice caught somewhere between anger and amazement, which caused his words to squeak in a most frustrating way. "And you never thought to tell me?"

"Forgive me, my lord," Sebastian said softly, rinsing the remaining suds from Ciel's hair and wings before helping him out of the tub and beginning to dry him off. He ran his fingers through the still slightly-damp feathers on Ciel's dark wings, completely relaxed while he straightened them out so they all lay down in the same direction. "I did not believe it was relevant at the time."

"How in the bloody hell would it  _not_  be relevant?!" Ciel simply sounded angry now, with no trace of amusement in his voice. Sebastian's expression hardened while he let go of Ciel's wings, and his next words were low and exhausted-sounding, which caught the younger demon off-guard.

"It did not matter to me who was trying to interfere with our contract, Master, only that  _someone_  was. I am obligated to serve you and protect you from any threat, including my own flesh and blood, without hesitation. And to be fair, my lord, when have you ever taken an interest in my life outside of our contract before?"

"W-well, I…" Ciel stammered, realizing that the older demon was right and not wanting to admit it. In all the years he had known Sebastian, he had never really asked the butler what he did in his free time, or who his family was, or anything about demon life at all, actually. Sebastian knew everything about him, but for someone who was supposed to be the earl's closest friend, Ciel still understood surprisingly little about Sebastian. The thought made him feel a little guilty, and he did not like that at all.

"I suppose… Never, now that I think about it…" Ciel muttered, his face coloring a bit red with embarrassment. Sebastian smirked, handing Ciel a towel to slip around his waist and beginning to dry his hair.

"Exactly. There is no need to be embarrassed, but please do keep in mind that I have spent the last three years serving you strictly as a pawn, not as a fellow demon. Pawns are not asked about their pasts or opinions, because those are not relevant to the task at hand so long as it is completed successfully. So before you become angry with me for withholding information from you, remember that it was only at your request that I did so."

Ciel nodded, his horns brushing against Sebastian's hands through the towel, and allowed the butler to guide him back into the bedroom and help him slip into a nightshirt, carefully working his wings through two long slices that had been cut through the fabric in the back. Once he had been dressed, Sebastian motioned for him to sit in a chair on the other side of the room while he began removing the bloodstained sheets from the bed and cleaning the carpet where Ciel had fallen earlier. For a few minutes, the only sounds were the rustle of fabric and the soft scrubbing of a wet horsehair brush against the floor as Sebastian silently went about his work. Soon, though, Ciel could stand it no longer and spoke up again.

"Sebastian."

"Yes, my young lord?"

"If Claude was your brother, why did he come after me? You said you two despised each other, so wouldn't he have wanted to stay as far away from you as possible?" Sebastian chuckled and stood up, wincing a little when his wings moved of their own accord and stretched his wounds.

"One would think so, yes. But Claude, despite being three centuries older, has always been more impulsive than I am. To understand why, let me explain to you a bit about demon society's organization. Hell is organized into seven 'circles,' each representing one of the Seven Deadly Sins. I am sure you have heard of them before, yes?" Ciel turned toward Sebastian, one eyebrow raised and a smirk on his lips.

"Who wouldn't have after living with you for three years?"

"Indeed. Well, although all demons have the capability to commit any of the Seven Deadly Sins very easily, every demon is influenced more by one 'circle' than any other from the time they are born. Claude, who in Hell was known as Alastor, was born under the circle of Envy. From childhood, he always fiercely coveted whatever others had, and would stop at nothing to take whatever he desired." Ciel nodded, his full attention on Sebastian while the crow explained.

"Those who are born under the circle of Envy usually take the form of small, secretive animals such as spiders, snakes, and sometimes foxes or cats, although those last two can belong to other circles as well. They are generally very cunning and manipulative, especially in forming contracts with humans that they rarely intend to honor. However, they are also extremely impulsive. This is what caused Claude's loss at my hands, for although he was older and physically superior to me, I was able to outwit him quite easily once he became distracted by the pursuit of taking your soul from me."

"Hmm… That makes sense," Ciel said quietly, very familiar with how strangely possessive Claude had become of him whenever Sebastian was around. In spite of himself, he snorted aloud, covering his mouth with his hand in the vain hope that Sebastian wouldn't notice.

"Oh? Is something amusing to you?"

"I… I just can't help thinking that… Alois Trancy was nothing more than a pawn for Claude this entire time, and he never had any idea… And when I think back to how you and Claude were battling for my soul, it really reminds me of two little children fighting over their favorite toy." Sebastian's eyes widened a fraction of an inch, and Ciel imagined he might have even seen the older demon's cheeks color a shade darker before he cleared his throat and spoke again.

"Though I do not entirely agree with that comparison, Bocchan, it is rather amusing." He turned away from Ciel for a moment to look out the window, and the young earl was once again left speechless at just how much he didn't know about Sebastian. Before tonight, he had not even known Sebastian had wings, and now he possessed a pair of his own, although they were not yet as large and sleek as the shining coal-black wings that sprouted from the crow's narrow back. Idly, he wondered if he would ever grow to be as tall as Sebastian, but he shook his head immediately, trying not to think about it too much; that would only give the butler cause to tease him about his height again.

"So, Sebastian," Ciel continued, his voice calm although he was nervous about the new thought that had just come to him. "You say that Claude – er, Alastor –was born under the circle of Envy, and that you and he are very different. So what kind of demon are you, really?"

"Oh? Curious now, are you?" Sebastian asked slowly, turning to face Ciel once again with a devious smile. "Are you certain you want to know who I really am, Bocchan?" Ciel swallowed slowly, not sure he really did but determined not to falter in front of Sebastian.

"Stop playing games and just tell me!"

"As you wish. I was born three centuries after Alastor, under the circle of Wrath. Interestingly enough, the name you gave me, Sebastian Michaelis, is the name of the man who first recorded my name and traits in a record of Christian demonology in 1587. He was very perceptive, and he was able to see through my human guise, so I revealed myself to him eventually. He was eternally paranoid afterward though, and became a merciless witch-hunter and exorcist for the rest of his days in an effort to 'cleanse' everyone my kind might have touched. You actually keep a copy of his book in the library here, if I am not mistaken. Very clever of you, my lord, to name me after someone I influenced so strongly."

"I didn't know he had met  _you_  specifically," Ciel muttered, more than a little flustered. "I just said the name of the first demonologist I could think of at the time to spite you… A-anyway, which one are you? Michaelis mentioned several different demons in his book."

"Ah, but I believe he only mentioned two birds, yes? There was Malphas, another crow like myself… and Raum."

"R… Raum? Your name… is Raum?" Ciel whispered, beginning to shiver in spite of himself.

"Yes, I am Raum. I have caused the downfall of many high-ranking humans in my time, and I was also responsible for the outbreak of the Black Death in Europe in 1347. That was quite a fun little game, I must say. I believe Alastor even took part in it with me for a time, although he eventually tried to take over my role and lost his old human form to the disease as a result. Even then, it seems he – Young Master, is something the matter?" He had finally noticed how shaken Ciel looked, and he had no idea what might be causing it. "Is my name really so hideous that it brings you to terror?"

"Of course not!" Ciel snapped, glaring hotly at Sebastian. "I just… I heard a voice earlier tonight, and it mentioned the name 'Raum,' too…"

"A voice? From where?" Sebastian asked, now all seriousness and sniffing the air quietly as he searched for the scent of an intruder.

"It was… I don't know how to explain. It was from nowhere, and yet from everywhere at once. It echoed, but it should have been much too quiet to leave an echo. And the words were all in Latin." Sebastian froze for a moment before returning to the window to look suspiciously over the grounds. As expected, nothing out of the ordinary met his eye, and there was no scent of anyone unwelcome having entered the manor for several days, at the very least. Finally he sighed, turning back toward his master and kneeling down so he could be at eye-level with him.

"Master, what did this voice say?"

"It… At first it simply repeated 'Raum, Raum, bring him to us, Raum.' I didn't know you went by that name, so I answered that no one named Raum lived here. It called me a liar, which I denied, and then it told me… I would 'suffer for my arrogance.'" Ciel shuddered, expecting the blinding pain of his wings and horns sprouting to begin again immediately. When it didn't, he relaxed a bit and began to speak again. "After that, I could feel the skin on my head and my back ripping open. There was so much blood and… I kept calling for you, but you didn't come… After that, I suppose I lost consciousness."

"I see…" Sebastian said quietly, his eyes downcast as he realized just why the mark of the contract had begun to burn so terribly earlier. His master had feared for his life, might even have been in true danger, and he hadn't been there to protect him. Although Ciel didn't seem inclined to punish him for it, that was still a mistake he was not going to make again anytime soon.

"Do you think I'm going mad, Sebastian?" Ciel asked, the smallest tremble of uncertainty behind his words.

"Not in the slightest, my lord," Sebastian replied immediately, looking around the room suspiciously as if expecting to see someone there. "In fact, this makes the information I found out earlier even more believable."

"Oh? What did you find out?"

"While you were asleep, I examined the manor for any trace of the servants. None of them were here, which was strange in and of itself, but what truly concerned me was the fact that everything is covered in dust and there are no personal effects left in any of their rooms. Even my room, actually, is covered in a quarter-inch of dust. The kitchen was untouched, as well, and the garden is mostly dead and overgrown."

"That much deterioration in only two days? How can that be?" Ciel asked, tilting his head to one side as he tried to puzzle it out. "The servants are all rather inept, but even they shouldn't be able to let this place fall into such a condition in two or three days."

"That was my thought as well, and so I went into London to see if I could ask around for anyone who might know what had happened. While I was there, I came across Grell Sutcliff…" Both of them shuddered a bit, their feathers rustling with the movement.

"What did that redheaded nuisance have to say? Nothing useful, I take it?"

"Actually, he proved to be quite helpful, which was very surprising. And what I learned was… Well, even for me it was fairly unsettling."

"Well, come on then, what was it?"

"Today is not the day we thought it was, my lord. It is still August twenty-seventh, but the year is now 1891, not 1889." Ciel stared at him for a long moment, not saying a word, and Sebastian began to worry he would not believe this explanation.

"How is that possible, Sebastian? Did you do this?"

"Impossible, I'm afraid. Even a demon cannot control the flow of time; only God can do that. And everyone else seems to have moved normally through the two years that have passed, while we stayed in some sort of limbo. There are very few things that could cause that, and even fewer that would leave me unaware of it taking place. Until I can look into it a little more, I'm afraid I cannot tell you what has happened."

"I see. And what of the servants?"

"Mey-Rin, Finnian, and Bardroy are currently employed at the Middleford Estate, and although they do occasionally stop in here to make sure the entire manor does not fall to ruin, it seems it has been some time since their last visit. Tanaka passed away roughly eight months ago and was buried at the church where Madame Red was laid to rest." A look of sadness flashed over Ciel's features, but it disappeared almost as quickly as it came and he nodded, sighing softly.

"I see. And how does all of this relate to the voice I heard earlier?"

"Ah, yes. Grell also mentioned that there has been an increase in 'demonic activity' in London and the surrounding areas, and that there seem to be an increasing number of people dying before their appointed time. The reapers are on full alert now, but even so there are still many souls disappearing before they can be collected. The voice you heard likely belonged to a demon, although which one it might have been I cannot say."

"Hmm. So the answer is simple, then. If we want answers, we search for the demon and find out what he's been doing."

"I wish it were that simple, but from what I have gathered it may be the work of several demons, perhaps even joined with humans. There is a strange symbol being found near almost every victim's body – an hourglass with two wings, each facing a different direction, and sand equally full in both halves. To me, it sounds like the symbol humans often use for Chronos, the god of time."

"Yes, I've seen symbols like that before in books, but… Do you think it's a cult of some kind?"

"Perhaps. Or it could be the mark of an overconfident demon passing himself off as a master of time. If that is the case, he will be caught and punished by his own kind, if the reapers do not find him first."

"We are his own kind though, right? If a demon is causing havoc in London, then as the former Guard Dog of the Queen it is my responsibility to bring him to justice."

"I'm afraid I cannot allow that, my lord."

"What are you talking about? You have never had to 'allow' me to do anything. I am your master, you are my butler, and you will accompany me if I order it."

"In this case, I will refuse you as adamantly as I must, no matter whether we are contracted or not." Ciel's eyes narrowed, and he strode over to Sebastian and stared up at him as intimidatingly as he could.

"I beg your pardon? What right do you have to speak to me that way, Sebastian? You cannot –" He stopped short when Sebastian lunged forward and grabbed his shoulders, pinning him against the wall with a low growl as his fangs extended over his lips.

"Do not overstep your bounds," he hissed, barely keeping his claws from piercing Ciel's shoulders where he held them. Ciel swallowed, his eyes wide as he looked into his butler's piercing red eyes. "You may be a demon, but you are the equivalent of an infant by our standards. You have not even gained full control over your wings and claws yet, let alone learned to defend yourself against creatures such as reapers or worse, other demons and angels. I am not the most powerful demon in existence by any means, and yet I could snap your neck with a flick of my fingers if I so wished." He paused and took a deep breath, calming himself down a bit before he spoke again.

"Please understand, Master. I want answers as badly as you do, but neither of us will be of any use if you are constantly being attacked and I am being forced to defend you at all times. New demons are vulnerable, especially to reapers, and I refuse to put you in harm's way so carelessly. If it suits you, we can begin educating you tomorrow morning, once your wounds have sealed. However, I still ask that you leave any investigating to me for now, and trust me to judge when it is safe for you to venture out."

"Yes…" Ciel whispered, nodding slowly, and Sebastian sighed and let go of him, backing off while the younger demon slowly edged away from the wall and flexed his arms. "I do trust you, Sebastian. I will continue to look for answers any way I can, but I would like you to teach me in the meantime, as well."

"As you wish, my lord." Sebastian bowed low, then suddenly gasped and flinched back into a standing position with his wings stiff behind him and his lips pulled tight in a grimace.

"Sebastian?"

"Do not worry. I simply overstretched the wounds on my wings. By the time you wake in the morning, they should be completely healed." Ciel frowned, staring at Sebastian for a moment before walking away from him and heading toward the bathroom.

"Wait there a moment, Sebastian," he called over his shoulder when the butler made a move to follow him. A short time later he returned, clutching something that looked like a square of cloth in his right hand. Sebastian was puzzled to see Ciel approach him with it and motion for him to sit on the floor. He did, stretching his long legs out in front of him and letting his wings rest gently on the floor, and nearly jumped up in surprise when he felt something warm and wet brushing against one of the gashes on his wings.

"Young Master, what –"

"Be still, Sebastian. I'm trying to clean the blood off," Ciel said quietly, and Sebastian could almost hear the blush forming on his face. "It's my fault they're so torn, and you said they would heal faster without blood coating them, right?"

"I did, but I am a mere servant. There is no reason you should have to –"

"Shut up," Ciel snapped, although there was no venom in the words. "Do I have to order you to be still, or are you going to cooperate?" Sebastian chuckled and shook his head.

"I will behave myself."

"Good." Ciel resumed wiping the crusted blood away from the gashes, trying to be as gentle as he could and wincing in sympathy when Sebastian would flinch or hiss in pain. After a short while he had finished, and the feathers were laying relatively uniformly while the cuts began to seal themselves up. Sebastian stood slowly, flexing his wings and sighing in relief when they no longer felt as if they would tear farther with every movement before taking the bloody rag and tossing it into the tub to wash later.

"Thank you very much, Young Master. You did not have to do this for me."

"Well, I also didn't have to tear your wings with these disgusting claws, but I did that too," Ciel retorted, flopping onto the bed and trying to ignore the smug smirk Sebastian gave him as he threw the duvet over his master.

"I will make sure to teach you how to retract them in the morning. We wouldn't want you to have to wear two eye-patches, now would we?"

"Oh, shut it, Sebastian. I am going to try to sleep until daylight, so you can go for tonight."

"Yes, my lord." Sebastian bowed and strode out of the room, careful to shut the door softly behind him, and chuckled aloud once he was out of earshot of Ciel. "What an interesting turn of events. I believe this experience will prove to be very entertaining, if nothing else."


	7. His Butler, Caught

Over the next several days, Ciel began to realize just how little he truly understood about his new life. Sebastian had begun teaching him some basics, such as how to retract his claws and fold his wings behind his back instead of letting them drag the ground, and even those things were proving immensely difficult. He was not used to having what were essentially two new limbs growing from the middle of his back, and they often moved as if they had a will of their own, flapping hard enough to send him flying backwards and leaving him sprawled out on the ground. He had cut himself with his claws more times than he could count, and although he healed almost instantly he was still reluctant to touch any part of himself anymore. The last thing he wanted was to actually lose an eye.

Sebastian, for his part, was immensely patient, giving Ciel just enough information and then letting him figure things out for himself. He knew, frustrating as it might be, that the young demon would learn better through trial and error than he would if Sebastian simply did everything for him as usual. In the world of demons, those who could not fight for themselves died quickly, for the strong would attack the weak without mercy at only the slightest provocation. He watched over Ciel from a distance, knowing that the once-earl would be embarrassed if he knew Sebastian had seen every last one of his failures to command his own body, and stayed just close enough to intervene if anything should go truly awry.

Today, as he had been for the last week, Sebastian was sitting on the roof of the manor like some great gargoyle, crouched on the eastern edge with his wings held at rest behind him. The breeze was gentle and pleasant, and it ruffled his ebony feathers every time it ghosted by, the sound soft enough that Ciel could not hear it from the ground. The boy was still practicing the art of concealing his horns and claws, which in time would take him no effort at all but now required immense concentration. This was a skill that all demons needed to perfect, for if they could not construct their features into a completely human shape they would be easily discovered by humans and reapers on the mortal plane. Sebastian chuckled to himself when Ciel managed to retract his horns and claws but was suddenly blown over by a stray gust of wind. Deciding to take mercy on his charge, he leaped from the rooftop, gliding down on his enormous wings and helping the dazed boy off of the ground.

"You must learn to keep your wings held back, my lord," Sebastian said with a smirk, folding his own wings back until they were parallel with his body to demonstrate. "It will be too hard for you to stay standing otherwise."

"I know, I know," Ciel growled, shaking off Sebastian's hand and snapping his wings back in irritation. "It's a lot to remember at once, is all."

"Yes, but I believe you can figure it out," Sebastian answered, brushing some dry grass off of Ciel's shirt. "Until you learn to retract your wings, which is much more difficult than managing horns or claws, at least try to remember to keep them out of the way." He slowly trailed a long finger down the inside of Ciel's right wing, and the boy shivered involuntarily. "The wings are the most delicate and sensitive part of a demon's body, at least for those who have them. You must take good care of them; they may well save your life someday." Ciel nodded, his face solemn, and looked over his shoulder with a puzzled half-smile when his wings flexed and gave a sort of half-flap of their own accord.

"Why do they keep moving on their own, Sebastian?" he asked, touching one and pulling his hand back when it trembled under his fingertips.

"They are not moving on their own, they are spasming. You have probably tired out the flight muscles without realizing it; it is easy to do at first, until you learn how to keep them back without tensing them too much. Perhaps we should end this session for today so that you can rest them. I believe we need to work on your Latin anyway."

"My Latin is just fine," Ciel said with a roll of his eyes. Sebastian quirked an eyebrow.

" _Quod ita sit? Indica mihi ... Quid natus sum in Inferno circulus? Latine placere. (Is that so? Then tell me… What circle of Hell was I born in? In Latin, please.)_ "

"Uh, umm…" Ciel stammered, determined not to let Sebastian win. " _Dixisti ... Aliquid de Inferno? (You said… something about Hell?)_ " Sebastian smirked and Ciel blushed, knowing he had sounded incredibly stupid.

"Yes, indeed I did, Young Master. Now then, I believe it is time to practice your Latin so you understand the rest of what I said." Ciel sighed and nodded, turning around to head toward the manor's front entrance, when Sebastian suddenly reached out and grabbed his arm, forcing him to hold still. He looked up at the butler, about to reprimand him for touching him so casually, when he saw how wide Sebastian's eyes were; the red irises were sending a dull glow over his white skin, and his nostrils were flared as he sniffed the air quietly.

"Sebastian?"

"Hush," Sebastian whispered, his grip on Ciel loosening while he moved a few steps away and continued to sniff the air. A low growl rumbled in his throat, and his wings stretched out menacingly behind him, the feathers standing up like the hackles of a wolf. An instant later his claws extended to their full length, and a pair of horns, curled like a ram's, emerged from the sides of his head. Finally he turned his attention back to Ciel, his ruby eyes narrowed. "Master, there is another demon nearby, much too close for my taste. If you would please conceal yourself inside the manor immediately, I will go find out what the intruder is doing here."

"Alright." Ciel spun on his heel, remembering to tuck his wings back as he ran toward the manor as quietly as he could. Satisfied that he was at least concealed from view, Sebastian turned his gaze skyward, frustrated that he could not see what his nose had told him was there. That probably meant that this demon had wings as well, which would make it all the more irritating to tail. With a sigh, Sebastian kicked off of the ground, propelling himself into the air with his coal-colored wings extended as he pursued whatever demon had dared wander into his master's domain.

* * *

As soon as Ciel made it inside his old home, he bolted the enormous door behind him, knowing it would do little to hinder a demon but hoping it would at least deter any other intruders. He made his way to his room, where there was only one door and one window, and stood with his back to the wall, his eyes shifting nervously back and forth as he searched for any sign of someone who did not belong there. He knew he shouldn't worry – it was Sebastian tailing the other demon, after all – but something in his gut told him that he was still in very real danger, and he didn't like it at all. He reached instinctively for the pistol he had kept under his pillow for years, realizing to his dismay that it had been removed in the two years since he had lived here. He allowed his talons to extend, curling his fingers a bit to keep them at a wide angle; if nothing else, he was going to fight for himself until Sebastian returned.

Almost as soon as that thought crossed his mind, a frighteningly familiar voice echoed through the room, whispered so softly that no human could have detected it.

" _Raum... Raum… Adducite eum ad nos, Raum… (Raum… Raum… Bring him to us, Raum…)"_

"Not again…" Ciel muttered, his fists clenching at his sides as he fought to keep them from shaking.

" _Ubi est Raum, pueri? (Where is Raum, boy?)_ "

"I don't know."

" _Novi est hic. Noli apud me mentiri. (I know he is here. Do not lie to me.)_ "

"I said I don't know. Are you a demon, too?"

There was silence for almost a minute, so long that Ciel began to think he had simply been imagining the voice. But when it spoke again it was louder, the sound undeniably masculine and almost giggling with amusement.

" _Ecce ego daemonium. Raum, et servus tuus, recte? (Yes, I am a demon. And Raum is your servant, correct?)_ "

"What are you saying? I can't understand you."

There was laughter echoing around him again, and then the voice was right behind him, seeming to whisper directly into his ear.

" _Scies satis mature Ciel Phantomhive. Nunc veni. (You will know soon enough, Ciel Phantomhive. Now, come with me.)_ "

A moment later, the world began to blur around Ciel, and his ears began to buzz with garbled words in a strange language. He had lost consciousness before he hit the floor.

* * *

Sebastian could sense that he was closing in on whichever demon had decided to fly over the Phantomhive Estate. The scent of another Hell-spawn was very easily distinguishable to him, although humans would never be able to detect it. He beat his wings harder, flying faster in the direction the scent travelled, when he was suddenly forced to a stop, plummeting toward the ground and barely managing to right himself before he slammed down into the earth. His wings hung uselessly behind him, refusing to lift him no matter how hard he tried. He snarled and tried to run, shouting in rage when he realized that he was locked into a Devil's Trap that had been carved into the ground beneath him. The now-familiar symbol of the winged hourglass was carved a few feet away from him, leaving no question as to who might be responsible for this. There was no way to escape from one of these unless the lines drawn into the earth were broken, and no demon could do that on their own. He was effectively powerless now.

A twig snapped behind him and he whirled around, baring his teeth and snarling like a wounded animal but knowing he was only bluffing; he was a threat to no-one so long as he was in this accursed circle. A moment later a tall man emerged from the trees, his long gray-black hair whipping about on the sudden breeze while he took in the scene before him. Sebastian stared back, daring him to make a move, and the man chuckled and shook his head. He made a beckoning motion to someone behind him, and another, younger man stepped out of the forest, eyeing Sebastian warily as he approached.

"Come now, Martin," the older man said patiently. "Don't act so afraid. He's just one demon, and he's useless when he's trapped like this."

"But… are you sure?"

"Certainly. This trap is unbreakable to anyone but a human. He's not going anywhere." Sebastian snorted, not amused by this conversation in the least and wanting more than anything to snap both of their necks like twigs. "However…" the man continued, taking hold of Martin's hand. "He isn't the one we want. So I want you to let him go."

"L-let him go? A-are you mad? He'll kill us!" The man simply smiled, looking into Martin's eyes while he spoke again.

"I am sure. You are to let him go. Now." The young man's brown irises suddenly turned milky white and his expression became neutral, losing all of the fear it had held moments ago. In a very mechanical fashion, he stooped down at the edge of the Devil's Trap, using his finger to break the lines of the circle in the dirt. When he had finished, Martin stood to address the older man, and Sebastian's eyes widened when a clawed hand suddenly tore through the flesh of his torso, ripping out his heart and killing him almost instantly. The body fell to the ground in a heap, and the dark-haired man smiled, extending a hand for Sebastian to shake. The demon butler smirked, able to identify this other demon's scent properly now that he had regained his powers.

"Why, Malphas. Whatever brings you here today?"

The man smirked in a way that mirrored Sebastian's perfectly, his features transforming into those of a demon with pure-black eyes, midnight blue wings and a sharp, almost feminine face.

"Anything to help you, Father."


	8. His Butler, Reuniting

To say that Sebastian was surprised to see his son standing before him would be more than an understatement. The older demon had been drifting in and out of Hell for centuries, taking on contracts and collecting souls from the battlefields humans littered with corpses, so it had been an unspeakably long time since he had seen Malphas.

The young raven demon looked stronger than he had when Sebastian had seen him nearly a half-millennium ago. He was finer-featured, taller, and possessed a deceptive leanness that belied his unearthly strength. Although he still looked to be in his twenties, like Sebastian himself, he was actually nearing his twelfth millennium, compared to Sebastian's fiftieth. Taking all of this in, along with the healthy sheen of his blue-black wings and the diamond-hard appearance of his horns and claws, Sebastian smiled warmly at his son, who bowed low in return.

"It is good to see you again, Father," Malphas said warmly, his face mirroring Sebastian's signature smirk perfectly as they looked at one another again. "How long has it been now? Three, four centuries?"

"I believe so, yes," Sebastian said thoughtfully, tilting his head to the side as he tried to remember. "We last saw one another in 1453, correct?"

"Ah, yes. That was the final year of the Hundred Years' War we helped start between Britain and France. Those soldiers had some very angry souls by the end…" Malphas licked his lips, his serpentine tongue flicking over his long canines. "And they left such pretty wives behind for me to…  _take care of_ …"

Sebastian chuckled and shook his head. Malphas may have been his son, but in some ways they were nothing alike. Sebastian had certainly had numerous sexual encounters in his day – some had been during his time serving Ciel, in fact – but he could not even hope to compare to the intensity with which Malphas pursued his partners. The raven had been born under the circle of Lust, so that fact was understandable, but every so often it grated on Sebastian's nerves. He was much more interested in corrupting pure souls through violence and wrath, not through the desires of the flesh.

"So, Father," Malphas continued as if the previous statements had never been uttered. "It's rather unlike you to get yourself caught in a Devil's Trap, don't you think? You aren't losing your touch, are you?"

That comment stung his already wounded pride, and Sebastian curled his lip, revealing his upper canines threateningly. "Do not speak to me so presumptuously, Malphas. You may be my son, but the gap between our ranks is still monumental. You would do well to show respect for that fact." Malphas dropped his eyes and lowered his head, his wings hanging as low as physically possible to drag the ground as he abased himself before Sebastian.

"Forgive me, Father. I meant no offense." The crow nodded his acceptance of the apology, and Malphas raised his head to meet his father's eyes again. "Actually, erm…" Here Malphas hesitated, scratching the back of one of his horns nervously. "It was at my bidding that the human, Martin, carved that Devil's Trap into the earth. I could not do it myself, obviously, but I could at least instruct him in how to make one."

"Oh?" Sebastian asked with a quirk of an eyebrow, his face once again displaying calm amusement. "And why, pray tell, did you feel the need to trap your own father in one of those? I was a bit preoccupied, in case you were not aware. Or did you honestly crave my attention that badly?" The last question was asked with a teasing smirk, and Malphas blushed and snorted in embarrassment.

"Of course not! I'm twelve-thousand years old! I haven't 'craved your attention' since my first millennium. No, I did not set the trap so that I could talk to you; actually, it wasn't even  _meant_  to catch  _you_. You were supposed to follow the demon I sent to the Phantomhive Manor for some distance away from here; it was little Ciel who was supposed to be caught when he followed you." Sebastian's eyes widened, his wingspan widening threateningly behind him as he stared at his son. "But, it seems the Earl Phantomhive hasn't mastered flying yet, so that plan was all for naught."

"What business do you have with my master?" Sebastian snarled, standing over Malphas with his claws piercing through the leather that made up the raven's skin-tight clothing. To the demon butler's secret delight and pride, his son stood his ground, steeling his gaze as he stared at Sebastian with cold, emotionless eyes.

"I can assure you that I am no threat to either of you," he answered calmly, taking his father's hand in both of his and slowly extricating the black claws from his shirt. "But it is not safe to speak of it here. I've been watching this place for a few months now; there are reapers standing watch on every corner, waiting for one of us to make a mistake and take a soul in front of them. They're bloodthirsty, maybe as bloodthirsty as we are. Even innocent demons who haven't fed in years are being hunted down. We need to return home for a while and plan out our next move."

"I understand. I was thinking much the same thing myself. But my first priority must always be my young master. Go back ahead of me, and I will meet you there as soon as I retrieve him."

"No need to worry about that," Malphas said with a mischievous wink. He raised his clawed fingers to his lips and whistled shrilly, a pitch so high that only angels and demons could even hear it. A moment later, a dark shape appeared in the sky, flying toward them at an incredible speed. With a soft flapping of the enormous wings on the demon's back, he descended to the ground beside them, holding a sleeping Ciel carefully in his massive arms. "I asked Moloch here to get Ciel out of the manor once I had put him to sleep. I think I scared the boy a little in the process, but some things are simply unavoidable."

The demon, who had not bothered to craft a human form for himself, looked much more intimidating than either Sebastian or Malphas, and he possessed none of their physical beauty. He was a giant, a hulking, muscular creature standing over nine feet tall. His skin was a deep blood red, the long hair that trailed down his back burned with flame, and his wings were leathery and bat-like. Pale scars crisscrossed the entirety of his body, and one of his two thirty-inch horns was snapped off almost completely, only a gnarled stump remaining where the glorious weapon had once been. His eyes were a pale yellow with slitted pupils like a snake's, and a golden ring pierced the septum of his nose. Together with his thickly muscled body and overly masculine face, it only made him look more like some sort of bull with wings.

"Lord Raum," the demon growled, his voice a rumble that could be felt as well as heard. He extended his arms to Sebastian, who took Ciel gently, holding him protectively but being careful not to bend his wings at a painful angle. "What a pleasure it is to see you again."

"And you as well," Sebastian replied politely, offering a half-smile to the other demon. "You have performed admirably once again, Moloch. I knew there was a reason I considered you the greatest of all my servants."

Moloch bowed deeply, his fiery hair falling around his face and his leathery wings folding tightly to his sides. "I do not deserve such praise, my lord. If I could not perform a task such as this, then what sort of servant would I be?" Sebastian chuckled, remembering now just who it was he had modeled his "butler aesthetic" after.

"Nonetheless, I am very pleased, Moloch. Now, if you would please see to it that everything is in order by the time we return…"

"Consider it done, my lord." In an instant, Moloch had vanished, leaving Sebastian and Malphas alone with a now stirring Ciel. The young demon opened his eyes blearily, startling and nearly falling from Sebastian's arms when he caught sight of his butler's mostly-demonized form watching him while he slept.

"Se… bastian?" he muttered sleepily, allowing his butler to set him on his feet and stretching his wings out gingerly. "What happened? How did I get here?"

"I'm afraid this is neither the time nor the place to explain, my young lord," Sebastian answered apologetically, watching in amusement as Ciel eyed Malphas warily. "At the moment, the three of us must be off."

"Off? Where is it we're going?"

"We are going back home, my lord. To my home."

"You don't mean –?"

"Indeed, I do. We shall be venturing into Hell."


End file.
